Jet propelled vessel having submerged capillary feeding means for the steam boiler



G. E. BITTNER March 2 7, 1951 2,546,210 JET PROPELLED vEss HAVINGSUBMERGED CAPILLARY FEEDING MEANS FOR THE STEAM BoILERs 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Nov. 22, 1946 March 27, 1951 G. E. BITTNER 2,545,210

` JET PROPELLED VESSEL HAVING SUBMERGED CAPILLARY FEEDING MEANS F'OR THESTEAM BOILERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 22, 1946 4parts throughouttheseveral views.

Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JET PROBELLED VESSELHAVING vSUB- lMERGED CAPILLARY FEEDING 'MEANS FOR THE STEAM BOILER 3Claims. 1

This invention relates to 'marine `propulsion devices.

An object of this invention is to provide'a steam generator for drivinga vessel bythe discharge of steam under high pressure from the'vesselAnother object of the invention `is to provide a propulsion deviceincluding a steam generator, and .means for discharging steam under highpressure from said steam generator whereby the vessel may be propelledby direct rocket reaction of the steam acting upon the vessel in a wellknown manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a propulsion device fora vessel including a steam generator inwhich steam is created byinjecting water onto an electrically heated element which lines acylinder tube, and allowing the steam'thus created to escape through anexhaust 'valve to create a reactive thrust against the cylinder tube andthus to propel thevessel.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a marine propulsiondevice which is simple in design,`inexpensive to manufacture, and whichis effective for the purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfr-omth'e following descrip- 'tion 'of a preferred embodiment thereof asillustrated in the accompanying drawings, and in which,

Figure 1 is a right end elevation of the device Aas seen from'the rightof Figure 2,

Figure 2 is a secticnal side elevation of the device shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a plan viewl of the device shown in Figure'2,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on lineY4-4 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5--5 of Figure 3.

Steam is a tremendous force and can be used at high pressure underwaterin'propelling boats. My invention would reclaim .the energy that now 'islost by the use 'oi the rigidprcpller blade. As boats are now propelled,the energy that is generated by the boat-engine loses half its powerbefore vreaching the propeller. On the other hand, my invention relatesto a device which -gives 'substantially its entire energy to thetask of'propelling the boat, with no long heavy -drive shafts to rob =itspower, :nor Vany backward drag due to frictional or water displacement,as is the case with any solid propeller "attached to a hull.

Reference may now be had 'to the drawings, in which like referencecharacters denote similar As shown, there-isan upper housing l2 -fwhichis :somewhat box like in shape, and forms an upper chamber `4 therein. Acylindrical outer casing 6 has an upper curved portion 8 thereofextending into the upper chamber 4 through an openingor cutwout portionI0 in the lower wall I2 thereof.

The left hand end I4 of the cylindrical outer casing 6 extends intocontact with the inner ysurface of the left end wall i6 `of the upperhousing and is secured thereto in any suitable manner.

The right hand vend I8 of the `outer casing `6 is curved asshown best inFigures 2 and 3, with-its inner or central portion 2] curved back uponitself and drawn inwardly to Iform an axial tube 22 extending into thechamber 24 inside the cylind'er 6.

A cylindrical inner casing 26 forms the Ilining of the cylinder 6, withits right hand end portion 28 curved back upon itself like the curvaturelof the outer casing at location-20 in order lto form a lining thereof,as best shown in Figure 2, the bent back portion terminating-at location30. An inner casing end wallv32 closes the left hand-end of the innercasing 26, as seen in Figure 2, a rounded aperture 34 being `formed inthe lower portionvof the wall 32 to permit escape of `steam therethroughtoward the left.

The chamber 24 is lined -witha coiled heating element 36 which issupplied with lenergy -by means of the electrical leads `38 and40"'which extend upwards through the upper yhousing 2 and areconnectable lto a source of electrical energy, the leads 38 and #49being -connected to a rheostat 39. Steam is lcreated by injecting waterontothe electrical heating'element l36 inside vthe steam generatingchamber 24. Water enters through the water intake tube v22, and, instriking the heating element -3b, the water is converted `into `steamalmost instantaneously, raising the pressure within the chamber 24.Agate valve 38 is hinged lat 40 over the 4'opening 34 Vextendingthroughthe walls 32 .and I6, so asso t0 be rswingable under 'theinfluence of the steam pressure inthe chamber `24'in 'a clockwiseVdirection about the ,pivot '49, opening 'the exhaust `valve v38 andallowing the steamto escape tothe Yleft'as seen in Figure 2 to bedischarged directly into the water below the'water line 42. Suchdischarge exerts a reactive thrust on the right-hand end of `chamber 24which is effective to lpropel the 4boat to which ,the device is attachedin a well known manner.

'The discharge o'f the steam is guided by -means of the casing extension44 which has Walls 46 which diverge as they extend away from '.theopening'3`4, as shown inFigures2 and.3, forming a v,half shell. Thishalf-,shell isinstrumental .in

straightening out the llines .of secondary Vreactive force Iparallel,tothe shipsihullby providing balanced vthrust surfaces. This is .toprevent tem porarily v the force ,from A'following .the lines .of leastresistance, which Ain .this case would be towards the surface of thewater.

vFor regulating the admittance of water into the cylinder 24, throughthe entrance tube 22 in the cylinder head, I provide an auger 48 havingteeth 50 formed along its outer spiral edge, as shown best in Figure 5.The inner periphery of the tube 22 is formed with a spirally disposedtrackway providing means 23 complementary to the pitch of the auger andin which the latter is threaded. The auger is extensible into and out ofthe entrance tube 22 under the influence of the gear wheel 52, the teethof which mesh with the teeth E! on the auger to cause it to be movedinto and through the entrance tube 22 to the right or left, as seen inFigure 2, as the gear Wheel 52 turns on its horizontal axis shaft 54.

The gear wheel extends partly through an opening formed in the side ofthe entrance tube 22, as shown in Figure 2, and has its shaft carried inbearings 56 secured to the outer surface of the tube 22 within thecylinder 24. A bevel gear 58 on the shaft 54 meshes with a similar bevelgear 60 carried on the lower end of a valve adjusting shaft 62 extendingupwards through the inner and outer easing walls and through the upperhousing 2, as shown in Figure 2. A handle wheel 64 is secured to theupper end ES of the shaft 62 to permit turning thereof by an operator tocause the auger valve i3 to be moved inward and outward in the waterentrance tube The auger 48 has a closure cap or valve plug 68 secured toits outer end, which, when the auger is fully extending into thecylinder 24, tightly closes the tube 22, thus preventing further Waterfrom entering. The auger valleys l@ are completely wrapped withinsulated wiring, asbestos insulated, with only the flanged too.hedtrack of the auger exposed.

As best seen in Figure 2, the inner end of the auger is also providedwith a cap 69 which seats against the ared inner end ll oi the entrancetube 22 when the auger is extended out of the cylinder to the right,thus sealing the cylinder. This permits it to be heated prior tooperating by blocking entry of Water or moisture into the cylinder priorto the time desired.

Water is supplied constantly to the interior of chamber 2Q by thecapillary attraction of the asbestos insulation' aforesaid which servesas a Wick. Thus, that portion of auger 123 that is irorn that portionwhich is outside of such chamber whereby to constantly replenish thatwater which has evaporated and been discharged as steam through the gatevalve 38.

Control is exercised by means of an electrical rheostat or o.hercontrol, and by the handle wheel 64. If desired, induction heating maybe employed.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention inspecific terms, it is to be understood that various changes may be madein size, shape, materials and arrangement Without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A marine propulsion device for a vessel, said device comprising acasing having a cylindrical chamber formed therein, said chamber beingadapted to be partially submerged in a body of water, capillary meansfor admitting water into said chamber from one end thereof, means forgenerating steam in said chamber from said admitted Water, means fordischarging a jet of steam from an opposite end of said chamber andbelow the water line, whereby to propel said vessel by the reaction ofsaid jet, and means exteriorly of said chamber and partially surroundingsaid jet for guiding the same for most efficient transfer of energy.

2. A marine propulsion device for a vessel, said device comprising acasing having a cylindrical chamber formed therein, said chamber beingadapted to be partially submerged in a body of Water, capillary meansfor admitting water into said chamber from one end thereof and axiallyof said chamber, a helical heating element carried by said chamber andconcentrically disposed about said capillary means for generating steamfrom water admitted to said chamber by said capillary means, means fordischarging a jet of said steam from an opposite end of said chamber andbelow the water line whereby to propel said vessel by the reaction ofsaid jet, and means for varying the volume of water admitted to saidchamber by said capillary means.

3. A marine propulsion device for a vessel, said device comprising acasing having a cylindrical chamber formed therein, said chamber beingadapted to be par.ially submerged in a body of water, said chamberincluding one end formed to provide a tubular passage axially of saidchamber and below the Water line, an auger mounted in said tubularmember axially thereof, a valve plug carried by each of the ends of saidauger, said auger normally extending exteriorly and interiorly of saidchamber, the valleys of said auger being wrapped with brous materialhaving capillarity whereby to p-rovide means for supplying water to theinterior of said chamber, said auger being formed with a spiral seriesof peripheral teeth, gear means carried by said chamber and engagingsaid teeth to cause rotation of said auger and move said valve plugaxially of said tubular member whereby to vary the volume of wateradmitted to said chamber, a coiled heating element concentricallydisposed about said auger inwardly of said chamber, said chamber fincludingan end wall opposite to said rSt-named end wall and formed toprovide a discharge opening therein below the water line, a normallyclosed flap valve hinged over the outer end of said discharge opening,said nap valve being adapted to be opened by steam pressure whereby todischarge a jet of steam from said chamber arid propel said vessel bythe reaction of said je GODFREY E. BITTNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in 'the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 10,224 Birkinbine Nov. 15, 185313,394 McIntire Aug. 27, 1855 1,787,844 Widdis Jan. 6,1931

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 643,536 France May 16, 1928 OTHERREFERENCES Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, found in Rocketsj byDr. R. H. Goddard, pages 194

